The Benefits of Oil Pulling with Sesame Oil

You may recognize the nutty aroma and earthy taste of sesame oil from your favorite Asian cuisine. It’s a staple of many Eastern countries’ dishes. But what many people don’t know is that sesame oil doesn’t just smell and taste great — it has a number of health-related applications as well. When used in specific ways, sesame oil has been known to help prevent wrinkles, keep hair healthy, protect skin from sun damage, promote a youthful appearance, and maintain oral health. In fact, one of the most common ways that sesame oil is used is for an oral health technique known as oil pulling.

What is Oil Pulling

There’s been a lot of chatter on social media lately about oil pulling. It sounds unusual, but it’s actually quite simple. Oil pulling merely means putting a small amount (usually about a tablespoon) of sesame oil in the mouth and gently swishing it around the teeth and gums for about 15 or 20 minutes. This may seem unconventional, and many wonder why anyone would hold oil in his or her mouth for that long, but done regularly (usually four or five times per week), oil pulling yields impressive results.

Oil pulling with sesame oil helps promote good oral hygiene in a number of ways. First, it helps to prevent tooth decay and cavities. It’s even been known to sooth aching teeth. Second, oil pulling helps to keep the lips and all mouth linings moist. If you suffer from a dry mouth or dry lips in the cold winter weather, this may be a good remedy. Finally, many individuals who use sesame oil for oil pulling report that it helps to keep bad breath at bay. Indeed, that’s a great reason for anyone to try it.

What Types of Oil do I use for Oil Pulling?

There are several types of sesame oil available at your local markets, but which one is best for oil pulling? While any sesame oil will work, cold pressed is considered to be the best. If you have access to organic sesame oil, that is also ideal. Your local supermarket probably carries sesame oil; look in the aisle where holistic remedies and tinctures are stocked, or look in the section where Asian foods are stocked. If you can’t get sesame oil at the grocery store, check your local health food store or online food or health merchants.

Some proponents of oil pulling recommend using coconut oil, or even olive oil, as the oil of choice for this practice. While coconut or olive oil are certainly adequate for oil pulling, many believe the special properties of sesame oil make it a superior choice for keeping their teeth and mouth healthy. Sesame oil is high in antioxidants, Vitamin E, and healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids. Plus, it contains many antibacterial properties to keep your mouth healthy. Finally, it has a mild, pleasing taste, which is important for oil pulling, as holding the oil in the mouth for an extended period of time should be a comfortable experience.
If your only experience with sesame oil is drizzling it in your vegetable stir fry, you’ll be glad to know that there is a whole other category of uses for this amazing lipid. Oil pulling with sesame oil is becoming more and more popular because it truly does work to keep teeth healthy. Give it a try, and see for yourself how much better and healthier your teeth and mouth feel.

Based on functions, there are two major divisions of sesame oil including cosmetic-grade and cooking-grade. However, these divisions can be broken down into more specific types based on extraction process and types of sesame seeds extracted. Before you purchase any sesame oil products, please pay attention to the label attached to the bottle/container.

1. Chili Sesame Oil

As the name suggests, this particular type of sesame oil is flavored with chili seasoning. It is available to purchase as a ready-to-use product, so you will not need to add the seasoning after purchasing. It is used for cooking purpose, not for cosmetic. You can use this oil to add spicy flavor to salads, meats, soups, vegetables, sauces, and more.

2. Dark Sesame Oil

Dark sesame oil has coffee-like hue. It is darker in terms of color compared to other types. The oil is extracted from toasted sesame seeds instead of raw. It has very strong sesame flavor which will overpower all other seasonings used in food. Therefore, it is mainly used as flavoring or condiment that is added to foods before serving. The most common uses are in salad dressings and sauce.

3. Light Sesame Oil

Light sesame oil is extracted by applying pressures to sesame seeds until they produce oil. Unlike dark sesame oil, it is extracted from raw sesame seeds, not the toasted ones. Compared to its darker counterpart, light sesame oil is best used for cooking. In fact, it has high smoke-point, which is an important property for any oil used for cooking purpose. The color is pale yellow and is often used in Asian cuisines.

4. Cold-Pressed Sesame Oil

Cold-pressed means the extraction process only applies low-temperature pressure to sesame seeds. It is known that cold-pressed extraction is able to preserve most nutrients contained in the oil. Such method allows the oil to bring more amount of antioxidant compound called sesamol. Cold-pressed extraction usually takes more time compared to other methods, but it produces better oil.

5. Organic Sesame Oil

Organic sesame oil is extracted from organic sesame seeds. Organic plants are grown without using any chemical-based fertilizers or pesticides. In other words, the plants are never exposed to any chemical substance, so it is the most natural method to produce sesame seeds. You may find that the price of organic oil is commonly more expensive since the plants will generally grow slower and require a larger area of land to yield equal amount of crops to non-organic types.